Holtsch disclosed a dispensing container in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,905 which includes a container with a strip of continuous premoisturized swabs therein, each swab being rectangular and interconnected with adjacent swabs at their respective corners. The swabs are folded only at their interconnection location and stacked one on top of the other. The container has an end face with an opening, through which a portion of the uppermost swab extends. The container also has a lid to protect the portion of the uppermost swab extending through the opening. Each swab is removable individually by pulling vertically on the portion of the uppermost swab until it tears at the interconnection location with the successive swab, because of frictional resistance generated by accumulation of the successive swab in the opening being greater than the tear strength of the interconnection location.
However, such a conventional dispensing container may still have the following drawbacks:
1. The swabs are premoisturized as stacked in the closed container, thereby being easily mildewed especially when stored for a long time for influencing health and hygiene for the use of the swabs.
2. It is suitable for mass production in a factory for making the containers each filled such a premoisturized swabs. After using up the swabs, the container shall be disposed to cause environmental problem.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional dispensing container and invented the present automatic tissue supplier.